Welcome to a simple lifestyle emphasizing a diet of whole plant foods and natural living.The principles of natural living address the cause of disease and health! I blog about plant based eating and other stuff. -Janis Hopper

Thursday, October 16, 2014

So many times we hear people say things like, "I have to have my coffee in the morning before I can get going". Or, "I need an energy drink to pep me up.". Similar remarks can be made about drugs, chocolate bars, favorite foods or a multitude of other things. All these things are stimulants. The use of stimulants gives us an impression of an increase in energy, but what is really happening?

The human body is like a watch. It has a driving mechanism and a restraining mechanism. The restraining mechanism is very important because without it the driving force would be used up very quickly. The human nervous system has the sympathetic nerves for the driving power. They carry the vital energies and nerve impulses to the cells and organs. Since the human body can only release a certain amount of kinetic energy in a given time the expenditure of the vital energy must be regulated. This is the job of the inhibitory nervous system.

Stimulants cause our inhibitory nervous system to become temporarily paralyzed and numb. It's as if they have removed the brakes from the nervous system and let the driving mechanism run wild when nature is telling us to slow down or stop.

After we work hard all day our vitality runs low because during the day our system has filled up with metabolic wastes. This makes us tired and sleepy. If for some reason we need to work late or stay up late we can have a cup of coffee or some other stimulant which will make the tired feeling disappear so we can keep going.

Did the stimulant really give us energy? It could not have because there is nothing in the stimulant that could give us any vital force. So why do we feel like it has pepped us up?

The caffeine, alcohol or stimulate has actually precipitated its metabolic waste products from the blood and deposited them in the tissues and organs of the body. Furthermore, the stimulant has numbed the inhibitory nerves. The brakes are off and we are running wild. Now we will begin to draw upon our reserve supplies of vital energy which are intended to be saved to use in time of extraordinary demands upon our systems.

Using stimulants is not natural. We need to rest and sleep when we are tired in order to store up a new supply of vital force. Stimulants paralyze the inhibitory nerves so that we draw upon our reserve stores of vital energies.

If we stay up during the night, we can't store up a new supply of nerve energy for the next day. This compounds the problem because now we will need to draw from our reserves just to perform our regular days work.

Sleep is the only way we can replenish our reserve supply of vitality. We stop drawing upon our vital energy when we are asleep. Sleep is the sweet restorer, and nothing in the world can take its place. Eating healthy food, exercise, medicines, or stimulants will not make up for the loss of sleep. Sleep deprivation will make you physically and mentally sick.

Another problem with using stimulants is that the problem compounds. There is a law of nature that says, "Action and reaction are equal but opposite". The depression that follows the use of the stimulant is in proportion to the stimulation. The next time we use the stimulate the expenditure of vitality will be raised above normal again, but not quite as high as the last time, but the following depression will go lower. It is a downward spiral requiring more and more of the stimulate to get the same effect. The highs don't go as high and the lows continue to go lower.

If we use stimulants to keep up our strength or to increase it, we will never be normal. We will never be at our best. We will either be over stimulated or abnormally depressed. It is only a matter of time until our reserve supply of vital energy will be exhausted.

Poisons can never give life. Nature regulates our heartbeat and body function according to the amount of vital force we have in our account. The best way to conserve our precious life force is to avoid the use of stimulants and sleep and rest when we are tired.

*****

We had wonderful food at the raw foods potluck this week. Here are a few of the recipes for the food I made. The Cauliflower Crackers and Pumpkin Soup came from Tannyraw's YouTube channel.

Cauliflower Crackers

1 head of cauliflower ground fine in a food processor

3/4 cup chia seeds

4-1/2 cups water

1 Tbsp chili powder

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 lemon, juiced

Stir all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour mixture about 1" thick onto Teflex sheets on the dehydrator trays. Set dehydrator at about 105 degrees. Dehydrate overnight. The next morning, flip the crackers and peel off the Teflex sheets. Dehydrate until the crackers are crispy.

Cauliflower Crackers

Dehydrated Okra with no seasonings. Very good.

Pumpkin Soup

4 cups fresh pumpkin

1 cup red bell pepper

6 Tbsp hemp seeds

2 limes, juiced

1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

Blend alll the ingredients in the Vitamix. Garnish with scallions and mushrooms.

Pumpkin Soup

Onion Bread

3 large sweet onions

3/4 cup flax seeds ground in food processor

3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, ground in food processor

1/2 cup of Bragg's Amino Acid

1/3 cup olive oil

Peel the onions and cut in half. Slice thin using the mandolin. Put the cut onions in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spread this mixture onto two Teflex sheets on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 100 degrees for 24 hours. Turn over and peel off the Teflex sheets. Then dehydrate for 12 more hours. Cut into squares.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

One of the principles of the simple,natural lifestyle in regards to healing from disease is to pray, or meditate, and expect to be healed. Sometimes there is confusion about exactly what this means. There are many teachings about meditation and prayer, about what they consist of, and how to practice them. Some of these practices can require a lot of discipline, most of them are harmless, some maybe not so harmless.

In Natural Hygiene, when we talk of meditation we are not talking about forcing your mind to go in a certain direction or by sheer will-power shutting off your thoughts. Meditation is more of a disciplined lifestyle where you do the right things for your body and mind. This lifestyle helps to free you from your conditioning that is programmed into your subconscious mind. This subconscious part of your mind keeps you doing the same old things over and over and getting the same old results. It keeps you reaching for the bag of Twix and mindlessly eating the whole thing before you even come back to consciousness. Making an effort to stay present in the moment as we practice this lifestyle helps us learn to think consciously with truth and love. Conscious living is the meditation that enables us to live in communion with God and Nature.

The Bible says to pray without ceasing. You have to be ever vigilant of your practice and your environment and always willing to make the adjustments necessary to bring you back into harmony with God and Nature. We call it a practice, because this work will always be in progress as you learn and grow.

The words wholly, holy, and healthy come from the same root word. Living a hygienic, meditative lifestyle depends on how you think. Right thinking is the key. How do you navigate through the illusions, delusions, errors, and lies all around you? You do it by being mindful and attentive to what is right before you. You love the people right before you by listening to them. They don't need to know what you know, but they need to know they are supported and loved.

Being mindful and attentive keeps you from getting pulled into a reactive state. When things grab your attention, you have lost your meditative state. Gently bring yourself back to the practice of an attentive mind whenever you notice your distraction.

You don't have to shut out the world. In fact, surrendering to God is just the opposite. It means to step into this gift of life with open arms...being willing to change. You are the one that needs changing - not the world. You don't have to force your mind to think about certain things. It's not about putting forth a big effort to be more spiritual...it's more of a surrendering to the unplanned with love.

In Natural Hygiene, meditation simply starts with respecting your body, your feelings, your thoughts, your mind. Your body is the temple of God, so pay attention to it and your environment. Meditation is simply observing what is present. As we practice this simple, mindful lifestyle we will be able to use our faculties in a better, healthier, holier way without repressing, abusing, or inhibiting them. Just observe everything you are doing and pay attention to it throughout the day.

Love where you are. It is right where you are supposed to be. If you really want to face the truth about what your life means then don't be afraid to keep asking the questions you have on your mind.

Raw foods and the biogenic lifestyle have been my pathway back to a modicum of health and freedom. I have not practiced perfectly, but I have put in many hours to study and practice the lifestyle. I have seen that it works, and it works every time. The varying results we see are not due to the teachings, but to the varying degrees of diligence in the students. All diseases are curable, but not all people.

These teachings are available for free. It is right that we pay our teachers and coaches for the information they share with us, but they should be selling nothing beyond the information. There are no drugs, remedies, or cures beyond the practice of the simple, natural lifestyle. Once you have the information, you can practice anywhere at anytime completely on your own. I still consult with Dr. Fielder even though I often know what he will say, but it helps to hear the voice of sanity from someone else in this world of false information..and I do still learn things from him, too.

I don't care what your disease is, if you want to heal from it, practicing the simple, natural lifestyle is the way to do it. The truth is in the practice. You can live on fruits and vegetables. You will get all the protein, calcium, and other nutrients you need from them. You can make your own dressing. It's easy to find fruits and vegetables when you are traveling. You can order a salad in a restaurant. It's just a matter of having your plan, and then doing your plan. Think of it as a meditation.

If you want to be different, you will have to do different, and that is the simple truth. If you want to feel good, then take a look at this lifestyle that will separate you from all the harmful practices that abound in our culture.

This is last night's dinner. The dressing is called Bottom of the Bowl dressing.

Bottom of the Bowl Dressing:
2 Tbsp Tahini or other nut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
Juice from 1 orange
Mix together in the bottom of a large salad bowl.

Chopped Salad: I used mixed salad greens, chopped onions, and cilantro. Toss with the dressing in the bowl.
Top with chopped Tomatoes.

Very good.

This looks like a fun girls party. I bought six bottles of cold-pressed grape juice from Draper Valley Vineyards. There is no alcohol in this wine. And look...six different mud masks!. We can do facials and drink our healthy wine!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Dan McDonald interviewed body builder Wade Lighthouse on his YouTube channel. The program is called Body Building and Spirituality. I didn't think I would get much out of it since I am not into body building, but it was a very good interview. I liked it so much I listened to it twice, and it is 30 minutes long. I sent a link to it to my husband and my son. I hope they will watch it. I may not agree with every word in it, but it is worth a listen. Here is the link: Body Building and Spirituality with Dan McDonald

I love to go grocery shopping. I must have inherited that from my Mom because she loved to shop for groceries, too. I try to find the best things available in our little town so I can afford to eat all raw. Today I spent about $75.00 at Walmart, Cranford's and Village Nutrition. It will mostly get us through the week. We also split a case of Bubbies sauerkraut Karl picked up for us at Whole Foods in Little Rock. That was about $36.00 for 12 jars which will last us about three months.

What is the food God has blessed us with? I eat fresh, raw, ripe, whole fruits and vegetables. That's how I thrive! That's my lifestyle....my hobby. The more raw food or plant food the better.

I am trying to manage my time better, buy not trying to work on everything on my list everyday. I never can get it all done anyway. So I am setting aside larger chunks of time to work on one thing. I am giving myself some breathing room. What I get to is great, and what I don't get to, that's okay, too. Every day is a gift. The present. Just take the next step. That's all I can do.

We finished the cleanse with the Blissful Herbs colon cleanse with ginger. The last day was hard, but the day we ended the cleanse, I was not hungry at all. Maybe it did some good, but I don't plan to do another one. Next time I will just do bananas for a week. That will probably do as much good and will be a lot cheaper.

I won an Ebay auction on a lot of five raw foods books on Ebay for $20.00 with free shipping!. I am so excited. I am getting RAWvoultion by Matt Amsden, Get Naked Fast by Diana Stobo, Sexy, Raw by Carol Alt, The Live-it Lifestyle - Dropping Diets Forever by Ronnie Landis, and Survival in the 21st century by Viktoras Kulvinski.

Juice from 1 orange
1 big mango (very good mango from Cranfords for $.39!)
1/4 of a large bell pepper
1 Tbsp of Original Mrs. Dash
Blend all in the Nutri-Bullet or blender and serve.

Most people go through life with a sense of loneliness. No one is immune to this feeling whether you are introverted or extroverted because it has nothing to do with how many people you are around. You can be lonely in a crowd. When we are not in close contact with people who think like we do, it causes loneliness.
Since none of us agree on everything, we all are lonely to one degree or another.

When we begin to practice the simple, natural lifestyle, we are sure to feel lonely at times. In a way, that is a good thing, because it can strengthen our resolve to go against the grain and embrace the role of a non-conformist. Loneliness helps to make us more compassionate for the poor, the weak, and the so-called worthless. It makes us less judgmental as we can see the cards are stacked against all of us.

Living the simple, natural lifestyle is a long-term endeavor. To succeed, we have to be a non-conformist because it requires we live in opposition to many of the accepted behaviors of the people around us, even our closest family and friends. So we come to terms with the feeling of loneliness. There are not very many (or any) in my town that live exactly the way I do, although there are some that understand this lifestyle and are supportive. Even though we practice in different ways, there is enough common ground to form a community. The phone, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are wonderful tools. I love to visit and have visits from people that will share raw foods with me. Our raw food group here in Hot Springs Village is such a blessing. We don't have to be completely socially isolated. We can look for people that seem to be aware of these things and seek them out.

I read an Arkansas Times article about five Arkansans living off the grid in Northwest Arkansas. I wish I could find a way to connect with them. Two are on Facebook, so I sent them messages and friend requests. Owen Rein in Mountain View makes rocking chairs. Sage Holland lives at Fox, AR with her husband, Tom. I have been wanting to visit Meadow Creek at Fox, AR for some time.

Being committed to the lifestyle gives us the opportunity to help interested people learn about how we see life and practice a healthy lifestyle. It really does take moral courage to do what not many other people are doing. I love this lifestyle, and the better I live it the more joy I get from it. I embrace the loneliness that comes with it as well as the love and camaraderie that shows up when we need it most.

Pay attention to the beauty around us even though many things are not ideal. We can still live with heart and courage. We have a truth to tell and a life to live. Basically, we are in the life experience alone. We help each other when we can, but still the journey is ours and we have to walk it out for our self. No one can do it for us.

My friend, Erika, brought these tomatoes to me today. She bought a box at the market and I bought 4 lbs from her. They are so good.

This book gives me inspiration for many of the things I write about on my blog....including the one today. It is out of print and a little difficult to find, but it's a good one to put in your library of true health information.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

The only greens we have remaining in the garden is a little patch of arugula. I pulled out the collards because the cabbage worms were eating them. Yesterday we planted some tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, rosemary, and marigolds. Our little herb garden is giving us parsley, cilantro, mint, chives, oregano, and basil. Abundance!

Lunch: Green Smoothie; Watermelon

Dinner: Frozen Banana Ice Cream topped with sliced strawberries.

This was a good watermelon.

The awesome raw foods group met at our house last Wednesday. I fixed three flavors of ice cream made from frozen bananas - chocolate, peach, and strawberry. I made a salad with cauliflower, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes with an onion dressing. This onion dressing will make a good slaw dressing, too. I fixed up a little salad bar with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, onions, black Kalamarti olives, and a Mango Dressing. I made a carrot cracker, chia seed crackers, and banana roll ups in the dehydrator. The others brought delicious food, too. It was a FEAST!

This is the cauliflower/carrot salad I made for the raw foods potluck.

The ladies at the raw foods group had fun discussing a package of bentonite clay given to me by my friend Debbie whose husband, Paul, bought a 50 lb. bag at the farmer's co-op for less than $20.00 to use for sealing a pond. The bag is labeled food grade. Ana, one of our raw food ladies who lives on the lake, decided to host a luncheon where we can bring raw foods then mud-up and jump in the lake. It sounds like a good time.

I ordered a colon cleanse kit from Blessed Herbs because Tannyraw told us on YouTube what came out of her colon when she did a cleanse. I want to see if my colon has anything like that built up. Hers was like old tire rubber molded to the shape of the intestines with worms stuck in it. The kit costs $79.00, and I purchased it through Amazon. One of the ingredients is bentonite clay. The next five days Travis and I will be drinking apple juice with the herbs in the kit .

***

What should we think about?

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. -The Bible, Phillipians 4:8

We should think about beautiful things. That is part of living the simple, natural life. We can think about the beauty of Nature. One of my favorite books is Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau wrote about how the rising of the sun is an event worthy of an audience., and it's a shame that we are mostly indifferent to it. I don't want to be like that. I want to pay attention to the natural beauty that surrounds us. Focusing on beauty puts us in a position to feel joy. What a wonderful thing to feel joy coursing through our mortal frames...joy unspeakable and full of glory.

There is no shortage of beauty, it's everywhere...in nature, music, art, architecture, literature, poetry and in the people around us. There are beautiful and compassionate people living beautiful, virtuous lives.

The simple, natural life is the quest for the beautiful. Being attuned to natural law and order brings harmony. Our bodies are based on natural law where harmony results from opposites being in balance....rest and exercise, sleeping and waking, eating and fasting, heat and cold, sunshine and shade. If we practice a simple, natural, healthy lifestyle we will experience more beauty in our life.

Beauty is truth, truth beauty. - Keats

Living the simple natural life is also the quest for truth. We feel connected to life when we obey the laws of Nature. We don't feel isolated from other living things. Nature is an important way that truth and beauty speak to us. It's not the only way, but it is one way. I have become quite skeptical of spiritual teachers that disregard the beauty of nature. Life is a beautiful thing and Nature presents that beauty in the animals, the weather, the plants, and the landscapes.

"We are not here to try to get to heaven. We are here to make our surroundings beautiful." -Karl Hochradel

Our mission is to seek beauty. We express it to the best of our abilities no matter how imperfect our efforts prove to be. Our greatest artistic endeavor is the practice of the simple, natural life so that we can see the beauty all around us.

A toxic body and a programmed mind will keep us from seeing beauty and will hinder our life from flowing freely and naturally.The quest for beauty is the quest for a fulfilling life. It is living in the present moment... free from addiction and distraction. The simple, natural life is a beautiful life. - Adapted from The Quintessence of Natural Living

Lucy loves to dig in the garden.

Here is Travis filling up our water bottles with the water from the hot springs here in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

For lunch today I made a recipe of Zucchini Pasta with a Pepper Sauce. I got this recipe from Tannyraw on the YouTube. I like Tania because she is totally raw on an extreme budget. Her YouTube channel is worth checking out even if you are not all raw.

We had company for lunch today. Our friend, Karl, came over to share his wisdom with us. It is always a good time sitting around the table, talking and sharing a meal. Karl always eats the raw foods I prepare and expresses thanksgiving and appreciation for them. What a good friend! Here is the recipe for the pasta dish:

Zucchini Pasta with a Pepper Sauce:

Make the pasta by using the spiralizer to make spaghetti from zucchini. I used four zucchini today. Put the spaghetti into a bowl.

Pepper Sauce for the Zucchini Pasta (I doubled this recipe today because we had company.)
3 dates
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Small bell peppers- 2 orange, 2 red, 1 yellow ( I used 1 large red bell pepper and 6 small yellow peppers for the double recipe)
1 carrot
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Blend all together in the Vitamix. Pour the sauce over the zucchini spaghetti.
Garnish with some small yellow pepper rings. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.

Yesterday and today were both cold and rainy days. This is our third blackberry winter so far this year. We had to turn the heater back on.

Okay, so I decided to color my hair with henna because henna is a natural product which seems to not have any adverse effects. Problem is, it didn't look very good. Today I tried to fix it with a demi-color from Natural Instincts. It's not healthy, but it is not supposed to be as bad for you as a permanent hair color. It looks better, but the red is still visible. It will have to do for now.

I haven't done a vision board in over a year. Maybe it's time to do that again. It's fun and it helps with thinking about what you want to achieve. When doing a vision board it helps to ask yourself, "What do I want to accomplish in the next three months?" What about a five year plan? A twenty-year plan? I don't want to use the vision board to make myself busier, but to hone in on the essential. It's exciting to think about bringing the focus in tighter. The Bible says if your eye is single, your whole body is full of light.

I like to think about my body being the temple of God. Doesn't that make you think about your body in a different way?

I ordered a book, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, on the recommendation of a lady I sat behind at a concert in Little Rock last week. The 700 page Pulitzer Prize winning book arrived yesterday. The author, Donna Tartt is from Greenwood, MS. She describes her method of writing with a Rudyard Kipling quote...."drift, wait, and obey". Isn't that good? Drift, wait, and obey. That is an explanation of living in harmony and not trying to force things to happen. Maybe that should be the title of my vision board!

"We're winged creatures on some level, but we're also trapped. We can fly, but we can't". -Donna Tartt

In the Goldfinch, the main character, Theo, talks of the finest thing in life being to "throw yourself head first and laughing into the holy rage calling your name". That's a good title for the vision board, too!

I am looking forward to getting into this book.

******

Nuggets adapted from the Quintessence of Natural Living this morning:

We all have to die sometime, it does not matter how hygienically we all live. Can we learn to face death without fear? Death begins the moment we are born. Inhale life and exhale death.

Death is not somewhere in the future. It is a part of life. Death is ever present. With each exhalation we are dying a little at a time. Accept it as a process that is already happening.

There are three mysteries of existence: death, life, and love.

Life is not something we want to take for granted. We need to ask questions and try to understand.

Most of the time we postpone death rather than accepting it here and now. We put it somewhere in the future. We avoid love by creating substitutes of possessions, attachments, and sentiments. These things are ego trips, not love.

Cells die but cells renew also. Each moment you die and each moment you resurrect. Each moment the past disappears and a new being resurrects.

Death is the only certainty. We flow like a river between life and death on either hand. When you understand this, you can relax. When we accept that death is happening to each of us we become calm and tranquil. In that acceptance you live a thousand lives.

Don't try to avoid the idea of death. In avoiding death you miss life.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Yesterday was Mother's Day and and an anniversary party with friends....and staying on all raw was no problem. I carried my own food to the party and had enough to share in case anyone wanted to try it. It was delicious.

Before church I had a banana smoothie made with a Vitamix full of bananas, four dates and some coconut water. Travis and I split this.

Lunch was a lemon ginger blast and some raw chocolate and strawberry ice cream). Recipes below.

I snacked on some Seaweed Love which is not raw. I thought they were raw when I ordered them, but they are not. I won't be ordering them again. I did this in order to cut back on the fats I have been eating in nuts, but we'll have to come up with something else. The Seaweed Love is very addictive.

My inspiration for the day is a 104-year-old Polish gentleman named Stanislaw Kowalski. He took up running when he was 92 years old, and he recently set the European record for centenarians in the 100m race. His Facebook page lists his occupation as Athlete! Too bad his page is in Polish or I would friend him.
Here's what he has to say about it: "My secret is not over feeding, and doing everything I want." He describes himself as an athlete. How am I going to describe myself?

The body is the subconscious mind. The emotions are stored in the body, and that is why it is important to pay attention to the physical part of our beings. Exercise and sports are part of our education. They help us to be happier. When we feel stress we can loosen up through healthy physical activity. It's important to reduce stress and anxiety. We are not going to lose weight the way we would like if we are stressed. One of the principles of natural healing is to avoid all stress.

I have been rebounding most days for the last two or three weeks. I am committing to continue that, because I want to see what my body will be like after one year of faithful rebounding for 20 minutes a day.

Environment is also important. We can see that by noticing that life is in the seed, but a seed will not grow very much or at all if the environment is not right. The food we eat is one way we help our internal environment . If the food we eat is of a low vibration or dead, then we are not going to feel very good. Don't get stressed if you can't afford every raw food ingredient you see or even if you can't always afford or find organic fruits and vegetables. We have to make the best of the living, whole, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts we have available to us and trust that it is enough. We can live this lifestyle on inexpensive foods.

Oxygen is another important factor in health and healing. The bloodstream carries life to the body, and it is purified by oxygen. Breathing fresh air purifies the blood and neutralizes the acid wastes. The blood carries the oxygen to the tissues and cells of the body. Oxygen is key. Sleep with the window open whenever you can, and get outside as much as possible so you can saturate yourself with oxygen.

God feeds the wild birds and makes the wild flowers beautiful. He does just as much for us. We can afford to live the simple natural life and trust that we will have what we need. The true riches are abundant, and they are better than the what the world system offers. The true riches lead to life, liberty, health, and wealth of soul, while the false riches lead to sickness, death, and poverty of soul.

We need to have patience as we work through our issues. Healing takes time and is often painful, but we can be thankful that we are able to do this work. There is no need for reservations about the teachings and principles of the natural lifestyle. It is a sure thing that as we live in harmony with natural law we will go through healing crises from time to time.

As we live this lifestyle we can be certain that emotional issues will arise to be addressed. When that happens we can give in to some distraction and forget about it or reach for comfort food, drink, or medication to numb ourselves to it or we can process the fears and emotions by staying with them as they arise. We have to be willing to be there with our feelings and be honest about them. That's the only way to get to the next level. And then the game continues at the new level. It's a fabulous journey.

Recipes:

Persimmon Dressing/Dip (My new favorite!)
3/4 cup water
12 dried persimmons (I ordered from Nuts.com)
Juice of two lemons
1/2 of an avocado
Ground pepper
1 Tbsp of Garlic/Herb seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)
Blend everything except the avocado in the Vitamix until smooth. After the dressing is smooth, add 1/2 of the avocado and blend on low speed until it is mixed in good. (Try not to blend oils or avocados. It's better to mix them in by hand.)

I put my ice cream into plastic quart freezer containers. One recipe fills up two containers. Eat right away or freeze. If you freeze them, remove from the freezer a few minutes before you want to eat them.

Ingredients for a Lemon Ginger Blast

Lemon Ginger Blast
A big bunch of greens of whatever you have available
Any green herbs you have available
1 lemon (I peel mine)
1/2 - 1 jalepeno (depending on how much heat you can stand)
2 apples
A few carrots
A few stalks of celery
1/2-2 cucumber
Other veggies you might need to use....peppers, zucchini, etc
Juice all in your juicer and drink.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Today was my 77th day of 365 days on the all raw biogenic lifestyle. Just to clarify, I have been raw for several years, but 77 days ago I re-committed myself to following the high standard of what I practiced when I was in Australia interning at the Clohesy River Health Farm. My intention is to be 100% raw and follow the other requirements of the healthy lifestyle.

I am very happy that we got to make goody balls today. Travis is a big help with this job. He helps cut the fruit, and he runs the meat grinder. He also cleaned the meat grinder today, and that is the hardest part of making goody balls. We were completely out after our trip to California, so it is wonderful to once again have this staple raw food item on hand.

I trained for the 5K today. Our next race is Saturday. I don't think I am getting any faster, but I hope I will eventually be able to improve my time.

I have been listening to 528 hz music today. I am fascinated with the concept of tuning to this higher vibration ever since Dr. Larsen brought it up during my sutural treatment. I am still studying about it's healing properties.

I talked to Dr. Fielder today on Skype. He is an encouragement to me as I work through my healing issues. It's good to have a coach or mentor to help you through the rough spots. The nerve damage will take time to heal, so I just need to be diligent in doing the things I know to do.

***

Back in the old days people thought air was bad for sick people. They were afraid that drafts, night air, cold air, or damp air would make them sick. They had people sleeping and working in unventilated spaces. Some of the early Natural Hygiene doctors fought for fresh air for patients, but they were resisted on every hand. They fought against the superstitions regarding night air, damp air, cold air, and drafts. There are still people that are afraid these things will make them sick. The truth is, however, that sick people need fresh air the same as healthy people.

Not all that long ago, even medical doctors believed these things. Hospital were (and still are) poorly ventilated and bad smelling. To this day they prefer the oxygen tank to fresh air.

Drinking water when thirsty is common sense, but not too long ago doctors would not allow their sick patients to drink water. I can remember, also, when coaches would not allow their athletes to drink water when practicing in the hot summer heat. They gave them salt tablets instead. In the un-airconditioned garment factory where I worked back in the 70's, the management handed out salt tablets to people working in the sweltering south Arkansas heat. Such inexcusable ignorance!

In caring for the sick, patients were not allowed to drink water or take a bath. They might be given a spoonful of warm chicken bouillon when they craved water. I think some of this still goes on. Why do we act contrary to our common sense? Why do we trust an outside authority more than the voice of nature within? There are stories of people getting up in the middle of the night to steal a drink of water from the well. The water, of course, would help them get better.

People should drink when they are thirsty. The water we drink should be pure water, not mineral water or water treated with chemicals such as chlorine or fluoride.

It is amazing how easily people buy into mis-information that is so contrary to our common sense. It seems like everyone would understand that pure air and pure water is good for us, but even today people are afraid of pure water and accept with blind faith that mineral water and chemically treated water is better. These waters are forced on the population by ignorant legislators, city directors, and health departments. But we need pure water!

I wish we would learn to value things by their real worth rather than by how much they cost. Water is worth more than the finest wine. Pure water is worth more than Perrier. Pure water is valuable for the body, while wine and mineral water have to be quickly eliminated.

The truth is the narrow way in the middle, and most of us are afraid to trust the simple truths of life.

To health and happiness.

We thought spring was here, but we are having freezing temperatures tonight.

Spring was nice while it lasted.

We have pak choy, arugula, and collards growing in our garden now. This is how they looked two weeks ago.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Yesterday my chiropractor gave me a sutural treatment which took about an hour. This treatment is a cranial adjustment for people that have suffered a trauma to the head. We decided to go this route due to the head trauma I experienced when I fell on the London subway and the possibility the facial spasms are related to that injury. The treatment involved working on the sutural plates in my head, the muscles in my neck, inside my mouth, and more.

Emotional trauma is stored in the body. This treatment will help release some of that. Things will bubble up to be dealt with and released. I am excited about the possibilities. We finished up the treatment with an EFT session. My instructions for after the treatment were to only do the things I wanted to do. I liked that advice! Doctor's orders.

During the treatment music was playing that is over 500 Hz. This music aligns you with the rhythms and tones of the universe. These healing frequencies help in achieving a sense of balance and sense of well-being.

Everything is about vibration and balance. Sound and vibration affect us physically, mentally, and spiritually. High vibration music can help in physical healing. It reduces stress, speeds up healing, helps in creativity, enhances memory, and increases energy.

The universe is made up of energy, frequency and vibration. Our life situations are related to each of these. Everything has these three ingredients. I have heard that we are what we eat, and I have heard that we are what we think, but actually we are what we are vibrating (which includes thinking and eating).

Our bodies are made up of mostly water. There are videos that show that frequency and vibration have a powerful effect on water. They will affect our bodies in the same way.

"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." - Nikola Tesla

Music is vibration. Yesterday I began to research high vibration music so that I can start including more of it in my day. One of the albums that showed up on one of the the lists was Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Allison Kraus. Later in the morning I found this CD at an estate sale for $2.00. Synchronicity! Now I am enjoying it in my car. I also bought an album on I Tunes called Healing Music Project, Vol 2 by Steven Halpern.

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics." -Albert Einstein

The large music companies control most of the music we hear and they flood the market with music that is of a lower vibration. We have to choose music from musicians whose music affects us in a positive way because the music we listen to affects our vibration. Mainstream music lowers the frequency of people everywhere. It is distracting rather than inspiring. It lowers our frequency.

There are birds in our backyard this morning making some beautiful high vibration music, too.

We had a wonderful trip to California to visit our family there. I loved spending time with them, and I did it will remaining on an all raw diet. My DIL, Amy, made it easy for me to do so.

A beautiful flowering shrub in Alameda, California. These shrubs were included in much of the landscaping.

Phoebe holding a robin egg she found lying on the ground.

Phoebe enjoying a Jamba Juice at San Jose State University. We were there to watch my grandson, Caleb, participate in a robotics competition.

Harris and Connor eating blueberries and walnuts at the Alameda farmers' market.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Diet is an important part of the simple, natural lifestyle. Many of the Natural Hygienists that have gone before us have experimented with diet to find what is optimal for us. Dr. Fielder, my mentor, uses some animal products including some raw goat's cheese and meat, but his diet is primarily raw vegan. My own diet is mostly raw vegan with honey and raw milk cheese included. The diet Dr. Fielder recommends is 50% fruit, 35% vegetables, 10% starches, and 5% concentrates. Food should be eaten without a lot of seasonings or condiments so that we can enjoy the taste of the foods themselves. Condiments mask the flavor of the food. Once we give up the cooking and the seasonings our bodies will be able to tell us which foods they need.

Fruits and vegetables are superior to animal foods. Developing better agriculture methods and building up the soil are noble vocations. Raw foods are superior to cooked foods. We will be better off if we only eat uncooked foods. It's important to thoroughly chew the food, too.

We don't have to be concerned about counting vitamins and minerals and calories. If we eat a diet of fresh, organic, if possible, fruits, salads, nuts and seeds along with a little olive oil, raw milk cheese, honey, etc., we should be fine. This is the diet that conforms to the laws of life. It will assure us of better health.

Condiments and seasonings paralyze the sense of taste so that we can't enjoy the flavors of the natural foods. We get to the point where we complain about foods being bland if they are not spiced up with hot sauce, salt, pepper, alcohol, or other condiments. Our tongues become so irritated with the stimulation of these spices that we miss the real pleasure of eating.

Here we are at the Florida Welcome Center where they served us fresh grapefruit or orange juice.

For exercise today I trained for a 5k, walked the dog, and did house work.

We are headed to California to visit our family there. My DIL is shopping for my food today at Trader Joe's so there should be no problem in staying raw while we are out there. My grandson, Caleb, will be participating in a competition with his robotics team. We look forward to seeing some of that.

Friday, March 28, 2014

I have lost my thermometer. I hope the puppy didn't get it. I like to take my temperature so that I will know when my body is ready to undertake a fast. Elective fasting is not something we advocate. It's best to continue with the normal routines of the simple, natural lifestyle until a fever develops. That will be the time to fast, because the body will have built up enough vitality to start a cleanse.

There was no sunbath today. Temperature was in the 60's, cloudy, rainy and stormy. There should be some sunbaths in the near future, though, which is exciting.

The view on my walk this morning. It was cloudy and wet, but nice!

The view on the mountain this morning. Our back yard.

It's good to sleep with the window open. Fresh air is one of the principles of the simple, natural lifestyle. We are at the time of year now when the window should be able to be open most nights. 40 degrees is my cut-off point. Colder than 40 - I shut the window.

I am optimistic that the facial spasms are getting better. It seems like there were longer periods of time yesterday when they were inactive.

We went to the farmer's market today. I bought a large bag of shelled pecans, a pint of raw honey, some fresh tomatoes, and a couple of desserts to take to a church meeting. I won't be eating the desserts. They are healthier than commercial desserts, but not up to my biogenic lifestyle standards.

Nature doesn't make mistakes, only we make mistakes. Doctor Fielder has told me that many times. When it comes right down to it, we are accountable for the consequences we cause. We don't have to be afraid of disease, because the disease is there to correct the problem. Instead, we should look for the cause and then make adjustments to our lifestyles.

When we get sick, we don't have to use remedies that are harmful to us. We just need to rest, fast when indicated, bathe, and follow the simple, natural lifestyle so that the causes of poor health will be removed and our health can be restored.

Disease is not our enemy. There is no need to go to war with it. Disease is our bodies making a valiant effort to remove toxins and encumbrances. Our symptoms should not be suppressed. Our job is to give our bodies every advantage with a healthy lifestyle and not suppress the symptoms with drugs and medicines. Suppressing symptoms is not a cure. The only real cure is to remove every enervating activity and substance from our lives so that we can recuperate as much energy as possible. Drugs and medicines are enervating.

If we try to cure a disease, then we are trying to cure the cure. The disease is the cure. We take care of ourselves when we are sick by doing everything we can to help our body in its healing process.

Natural Hygiene is NOT a substitute for medicine.

"The great error in regard to our Hygienic Therapeutic System is that it is a substitute for drug treatment; that water, food, air, exercise, etc. are substitutes for calomel, ipecac, lobelite, and cod-liver oil. Never was there a greater delusion. They are totally dissimilar and in no sense interchangeable; under no possible circumstances of health or disease can hygienic agencies be regarded as substitutes for drug poisons. These are good; those are bad; and that is the whole philosophy of the matter." - Dr. R. T. Trall

Thursday, March 27, 2014

I have toyed with the idea of trying some alternative healing methods regarding the facial spasms, even as late as last night. But this morning I woke with a new resolve to trust the process of the natural lifestyle as being enough. Anything more than enough is too much! I just want to do my simple, natural lifestyle without any alternatives.

I am studying about The Laws of Life in my Lifestyle Consultant's Course in Natural Living....

The principles and practices of Natural Hygiene harmonize with the laws of Nature. The things that preserve our health are the same things that restore our health when we have lost it.

Natural Hygiene rejects the use of all poisons. If something is not conducive to life in a healthy person or if it destroys living tissue, it is a poison. The only remedies we use are ones that support the living organism. If they are unable to maintain health, they are unable to restore health.

Natural Hygiene is not a treatment plan, it is a lifestyle. It's purpose is not to "cure" disease but to build health. Some people think Natural Hygiene is okay for a healthy person, but surely a sick person would need something different. The fact is, though, that this way of living removes the causes of disease. Sick people don't need anything more than what healthy people need.

Everyone knows that poisonous drugs are bad for healthy people, so isn't it logical that they are not good for sick people either? Everything that is beneficial for us will also be beneficial for us when we are healthy. It should have a positive effect on our health.

The questions we should ask when we are considering any remedy include:
1. Is this necessary for my life or is it something I will only use when I am sick?
2. Do I need this when I am healthy as well as when I am sick?
3. Does it affect me in a positive way when I am healthy?
4. Should I use this regularly when I am healthy?

If my healthy body rejects the remedy, it is a poison. The body can not use drugs. They don't nourish the tissues in any way. They are not invigorating, so they have to be expelled. They are anti-biotic and in opposition to life.

The truths of Natural Hygiene are self-evident:
1. Action is of the living organism.
2. Disease is a remedial effort.
3. Medicine does not act on the body, but the body acts on the medicine.
4. Disease and the healing power of Nature are identical.
5. Nature has not provided remedies and there is no law of cure.

Natural Hygiene does not use drugs in caring for the sick. Living the simple, natural lifestyle is safe and sufficient. It is all the remedy we need. It is enough.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

We arrived home shortly after midnight after driving all day from Cocoa Beach, FL to Hot Springs Village, AR. We had a few days of spring break vacation with our daughter, grand-daughter, and her friend. I was able to eat all raw foods, but I wouldn't call the trip biogenic living. Even though Disney World was too noisy, I got sunburned, and we stayed up past midnight, it was worth it to experience this trip with these precious ones. At Cocoa Beach we shopped until we dropped, and I got sunburned even more, but again it was worth it We decided to drive straight through coming home rather than spend the night in another motel, so we drove about 17 hours and arrived at home shortly after midnight. Maybe I won't ever travel again. At least until we leave for California next Wednesday. Our little dog, Lucy, made the trip with us. She is exhausted today, too.

We ate our picnic lunch at a rest area on the way to Florida. Lucy and the girls are in the background.

After talking with Dr. Fielder last week I am making some changes in my diet. I am eliminating the smoothies and blended salads and switching to eating the foods in their whole state. The tendency with smoothies and blended salads is to eat too much food. My typical diet now is:

Other things I took away from my conversation with Dr. Fielder:
-My eyes itch and water because my body is expelling toxins through the tear ducts.
-I need to be consistent in wearing the cold compress for a few hours each night because the effects are cumulative.
- I do not need to drink minerals. If I apply the Sea-90 fertilizer on my garden, I will get all the minerals and trace elements in my food in the form in which my body can utilize them.
- Kale is hard to digest. It is also high in oxalic acid. Kale is being promoted so strongly in the health food world, so I was surprised to learn that kale is not the healthiest choice for my diet. Kale and other foods high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, are especially undesirable for anyone prone to arthritis.

Our raw foods group met last Wednesday at our house. My contributions to the feast were goody balls, jam pie, pickle salad, peach salad with nut cream, and tabouli. We had a good group and the food was exceptionally good. I think I say that every month!

NUT CREAM
1 orange, peeled and cut up. Put in blender.
1 apple, cut up and put in blender.
50 grams of almonds chopped in a food processor and added to the blender.
Blend together to make a lovely nut cream.

Peach Salad

Almond Cream

JAM PIE (This recipe came from the Clohesy River Health Farm Recipe Book)
Crust:
1 cup sesame seeds, ground
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, ground
(I used what I had on hand so used pumpkin seeds, almonds and coconut flakes. You can use any nut, seed or coconut to make the crust.)
3 tbsp honey
Squeeze of lemon
Mix all the ingredients together. Press into pie pan and dry in the hot sun or dehydrator for 1-2 hours.

Jam for pie filling:
100 grams of any dried fruit (I used papaya)
Honey
Water
Soak the fruit for 5-6 hours. Blend until smooth. Add honey to taste then pour into pie shell.

Jam Pie

PICKLE SALAD (This is a Dan McDonald recipe)
Slice 2 cucumbers on the mandolin or food processor. Place in large bowl.

Make a dressing in the Nutri-Bullet or blender:
1/4 cup lemon juice or Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 bunch of fresh dill
1/2 tsp. of dried dill.
Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers. Let marinate for a couple of hours if possible.

Pickle Salad

Our friend, Karl, told us one day that we are not here to try and get to heaven, but we are here to make our surroundings beautiful! Now that should keep us busy enough. We can include our physical bodies in that equation, and do what we can to clean them up and make them beautiful, too.

We can talk to the God of the Universe in specifics. Being grateful is part of a biogenic lifestyle. We must not despise the true riches God has given us...sun, water, air, fruits, vegetables, earth, all of nature. God is love! God's goodness leads us to repent....which is a total change in the way we think. It's not too late for us to change the way we think. Living in harmony with God and the laws of the universe will enrich our lives beyond measure.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

When you receive messages from two different sources within five minutes of each other do you stop and listen? That happened to me recently. The message was, "The Lord will provide". It is true. Our job is to stay in harmony so we can hear what's being given to us. Be still and KNOW. That's what the biogenic lifestyle is all about. It meshes perfectly with my faith. It separates us from what is false and brings us face to face with what is real and lasting. I am happy that this is my path. I love my life...twitches and all. The truth is comforting. Anything that causes fear to rise up in you is FALSE, no matter who says it.

It is important that we learn the techniques of a healthy life and the practices that prevent illness. 90% of the population is sick and having their lives shortened. We can help ourselves by taking charge of our own well-being by doing a few simple things. Here is a partial list.
1. Recognize that symptoms are not diseases.
2. Address the real disease rather than treating symptoms.
3. Educate ourselves about natural law and the forces of nature.
4. Know that drugs do more harm than good.
5. Don't be one-sided. Always consider the whole person...the whole lifestyle.

The more we can educate ourselves the better off we will be. The best cure is prevention because prevention is easier, quicker, and less painful than trying to cure an illness. We can learn how to detoxify our bodies with simple, natural methods so that we will enjoy greater health. Healthy living and knowledge of the natural healing forces is the true medicine.

Many people are over-medicated and would do better with simple natural foods and by taking advantage of the forces of nature...water, sun, air, etc. The knowledge of healthy living is available to everyone, but it is amazing how many people still do not understand it. Unlike the study of medicine which is taught only to a chosen few in expensive universities, the knowledge of healthy living is available to anyone with the desire to learn it.

There are many good things about living a simple, natural lifestyle. We can practice the rules of a healthy, natural life all the time, whether we are sick or healthy. We can learn to live in harmony with the laws of nature rather than going head to head with them. It does not take much time or money to practice this lifestyle. Money is not an obstacle. The sun, air, and water are free. The fruits and vegetables don't cost very much. There is no need to go to an expensive resort. We can practice at home and out in nature. It is simple...anyone can do it.

******

I visited Gentle Dental in Amity, Arkansas last week. It was my first visit with Dr. Chester Clark, a holistic dentist. He is more conservative than most dentists and was willing to try the least invasive options first on my tooth that had a hole in it. The enamel had broken away and there was also a little decay. He used a slow speed drill on the tooth so no medication was needed, then he filled the tooth. Dr. Clark does not use mercury fillings, nor does he do root canals because they are not healthy. This procedure may last for a few months, or it may last for a few years. Possibly sometime in the future this tooth will require a crown, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. If you are interested in a holistic dentist here is a link to his web-site. http://www.mercuryfreedentist.com/

Monday, March 3, 2014

I am living every day at my personal All Raw Biogenic Living Health Spa right here in my own home. It is going well, and it feels right to be settled into these simple practices and eating my simple foods.

Things seem to be coming together regarding my facial spasms. For some reason, I had failed to make the connection between the spasms and a head injury I suffered back in June. One morning last week, it suddenly dawned on me that the twitches started soon after the accident. Last June, I was in London with my grandson, my sister, and a friend. As we were getting on the tube one afternoon, my friend got on in front of me and my grandson was behind me. As I stepped onto the subway the door shut and hit me on both sides of my body and face. This knocked me backwards and I fell flat on my back on the platform with my foot caught in the subway door. I was screaming and trying to pull my foot free, but it was caught. Thank God, suddenly the door opened. The driver told me she saw me fall and assured me the train would not take off with someone's foot caught in the door. I don't know whether to believe that or not. The kind gentleman that was seeing after me told me an ambulance had been called. I said, "Please no. I just want to sit here for a little while and see how I am." After an hour of sitting in his office, I agreed to talk to the EMT. He agreed with me that I was probably okay and gave my grandson instructions on who to call if I started having problems. I had a knot on my head and was sore for a couple of days, but seemed to be okay. An eye twitch started shortly after this and gradually became facial spasms on the right side of my face. My friend, Rhonda Hall, is a massage therapist. She checked out my face a few days ago. The muscles around my eye and on the right side of my face are flat and attached to the bone. It was painful as she applied pressure and moved the muscles around to break up some calcium deposits. This is a characteristic of injury to the seventh or facial cranial nerve.Nerves heal slowly, I'm told, but they can heal. Rhonda says they heal about 1/8" per month. My job now is to give my body every advantage so that it can heal the best it can.

I am working with Dr. Fielder on a regular basis again and also with Dr. Kurt Larsen, a chiropractor who specializes in cranial work and sacro-occipital technique. My intention is to trust the process as well as to enjoy the process.

We are due to have fluoride added to our water here in Hot Springs Village this year even though a large part of the population is opposed to it. Some of the people that come to our raw foods group are active in working to educate the officials and citizens. I hope they get the desired results, but if they don't we will need to find a way to remove the fluoride from the water we drink. As a starting point, I would like to get two 10 cup Zero Water Pitchers. They are $34.99 each on Amazon. They are supposed to filter out the fluoride as well as most all other dissolved solids from the tap water. Here’s a link to the web-site.

Dr. Fielder tells me that rainwater is the best water to drink, so I have been drinking rainwater since our last Skype visit. A few months ago, Travis and I purchased two 1000 liter tanks from Joseph Sheridan and Armando Martinez at Park Island Market and Cafe for $80.00 each. They even delivered them to us. These tanks are full of water right now. Here is a picture of our rain tanks.